Cracks in her Facade
by ataraxyy
Summary: - KatiexTravis - Katie isn't sure that the life of a demigod is really what she's capable of.


**Now, before you shoot me… Okay, there really isn't an explanation for my indolence. To sum it up; Exams, massive writers block and a heck of a lot of laziness. **

**Um. Hopefully in the Christmas holidays I'll be able to post some stuff? Ugh. I have a heap – lazy (this word will be my ultimate excuse) – Oh and about the screwing up of 'How much' – just don't ask. My account has its days. **

**Characters**: Katie, Travis**  
Summary**: She's not sure if life as a demigod is all that it's cut out to be.**  
Pairings**: Tratie**  
Warnings/Spoilers**: No spoilers**  
Timeline**: Prior to the books. Katie's first real battle.  
**Disclaimer**: Rick Riordan is a guy, and, last time I checked I was female. I'm missing a few kew ingredients here :|

**CRACKS IN HER FACADE **

Years of training couldn't possibly prepare _anyone_ for this – Katie learns that although the hours put in a Camp Half-Blood are strenuous and demanding, not all of the training in the world can ever prime her for the real thing.

It's seems she isn't the only one. Other campers stand and stare dumbfounded at the hideous creatures surfacing from every perspective. It's not the sight of the strangely deformed monsters that put Katie and a few minorities of the campers off their game – previous encounters beforehand had made sure of that – she thinks it's the fact that instead of running away from the creatures, they're actually going to _face_ them.

The thought sends a shiver down Katie's spine, but the very same thought seems to get some thought procession going and she manages to clasp her dagger hanging uselessly from her belt and whip it out in front of her. It's true; she only needs it if she is under extreme circumstances but Katie categories this as one of them.

Children of Demeter are blessed with extraordinary powers to control, to put it simply, plants. Making them move with their will, either blocking off attacks, creating mazes, trapping their enemies – the children of the Harvest are usually extremely helpful with defensive strategies as well as sneaky, devious ones. That's probably why they Demeter and Hermes cabins would work so well together.

Key word being _would._

She can't help but smile at the thought.  
_Working with the Hermes Cabin? Pfht! When Hades wears pink panties!_  
Katie raises her hand and briefly closes her eyes, willing for that familiar tug in her gut. When it comes it hits her hard. She rips her eyes open and shifts the wall of distorting and twisting vines in front of a group of newer campers, separating them from a fresh line of Hellhounds.

It doesn't take long for Katie to get into the swing of things, the training, she finds, _does _start to pay off. The ADHD really has hard-wired her brain for battle. Even though this is her very first real _fight _with _any _monster, she feels like she's done it for years.

'_Don't get too confident_'a sudden voice in her head announces. She's doesn't believe in an _inner_ voice, a conscience – but the voice she hears may as well make her. '_Being over-confident will destroy you._' She lets out a strangled sqeauk and for the first time, she think she knows _who_ might be talking to her.

_Mum?_

She hears a scream and a spray of crimson splatters into her view, the smell of the blood suffocates her entire being.

She freezes. Whatever movement she has established beforehand has completely and utterly gone out the window.

It's also the first time she realises that she really doesn't want to be there.

Everything is now all too real for her. Katie Gardner, the girl with the sturdy and fierce nature, the head-strong and spirited personality has just come to a standstill for a _second_ time that night.

She feels helpless; as much as she wants to help it's as if the connections from her brain to her limbs have been severed. She's a standing target and Katie can only hope that the Dracaena don't have an appetite for Demeter children tonight. Although, her chances aren't too great.

"KATIE! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!" a boys voice surfaces and Travis enters her line of vision. He's only been here for around two months – brought into the life of Camp-Half-blood around the same time she did. The son of Hermes may be a total _smartass_, but, she's glad he's here.

"Did you hear me wheat girl? I said mooovvve!" He ducks behind a tree as lumbering and rather irritated giant stumbles straight through her weakening wall of plants and heads straight for her.

She tries damn hard to move her legs, any movement will do- but her efforts are futile.

"Katie you complete _ugh!_ I don't even have a word for this! What are you _doing?_"

Again, Travis sweeps into her view and reaches into his pocket. She can't be certain but he pulls out a grenade of some sort. He slams it to the ground in front of him. An ominous purple gas emanates from it. Travis runs to her side and spins around to look at his work. "Not too shabby if you ask me!"

Monsters of all shape and sizes collapse with one sniff of the fume – dead?

"Asleep." Travis pipes up answering her unsaid question. He turns to her. "What is up with you?" Katie tries to open her mouth but she can't, a tear dribbles pathetically down her cheek and Travis stares at her as if he's a deer caught by a car headlight.

The moment of peace doesn't last long.

_CRACK_!

Travis whirls around behind him but it's too late. He's on the receiving end of the giants club and is thrown like a dog would do to a rag-doll. He slams into a tree.

She watches as he falls. The worst feeling washes over her and she's drowning in it. It's a mixture of guilt, sadness, anger, anxiety and fear. _Fear_. She hates the word.

But it still manages to keep her standing there like one of Medusa's statues watching on as he does.

...

He doesn't wake for at least a week.

The Apollo kids tell her that they've done all they can for him – he'll make a full recovery they assure her, but it still doesn't make her budge from his bedside.

It's stupid, she knows. She owes her pathetic life to a dumb _Hermes _kid?

The only other person that visits him a lot, if not, _more, _than she does is his brother – Connor Stoll.

She feels exposed when he come in the room, glancing briefly at her, and then taking his usual seat next to Travis' bedside. Herself on one side, him on the other. They don't talk much. And when they do it's one-worded – usually one-sided too.

She feels as if she's talking to a brick wall.

Katie doesn't recall much about what happened after Travis got hit. Her siblings tell her that the Hunters of Artemis came just in time. But she doesn't remember.

All she remembers is standing their, helpless. She might as well of held up a banner saying 'FREE FOOD!' Her cabin mates assure her that it was only her first battle, no sweat! Next time you'll be as good as gold!

But she doesn't believe it. She'd do anything just to not experience that, that, _that…_ Fear.

There it is again, that word – fear.

A shiver snakes down her spine and Katie readjusts herself on the makeshift chair. She chances another glance at Connor but he's asleep – head leaned against his hand, a small stream of drool dribbling out of his mouth. She can't help but feel a little sorry for him. She knows that she's the reason his brother is lying on the bed. She should be there!

Guilt consumes her and she thinks if Travis doesn't wake up soon, she will _never_ forgive him.

Travis' bruised and battle-beaten body shifts a little and slowly Travis opens his eyes. Katie's breath catches in her throat as if she waiting for the results to a maths exam.

"Ugh! Turn the lights out!"

She nearly falls off her chair. Quickly muttering a brief apology she stumbles towards the window of the infirmary and whips the blinds down.

"Ah. Better."

His voice is croaky, unusual, idle for so long that his vocal chords must have a think layer of dust settled upon them.

"Hey Travis… how are you feeling?"

She's unsure of what to say – how he'll react.

"Katie?"

"Yeah it's me…"

"Katie!"

He shoots up like a rocket and scans the room, as if finally remembering that he was in the middle of a large-scale battle.

"What? Where? How?"

"Shush! Geez. Keep it down! You're brother hasn't slept all week and just when it gets some shut eye!"

"Connor?"

Travis looks around the room and his eyes finally settle on the sleeping form next to him. Connor's dribble of saliva has formed a puddle on his orange Camp half-blood shirt but it doesn't really matter – he was bound to crash soon enough.

"Listen, before you say _anything_… I-"

"Don't be."

Katie stares at Travis. Her eyes must be full of confusion, guilt, and uncertainty. He knows what she wants to say. He doesn't want any of it.

"Why?"

It takes a little while for him to respond. He stretches his stiff limbs and looks at the now shielded windows.

"Because… You're strong. Stronger than that. I might've only known you for around two months but that doesn't mean I don't know you're strong." He looks up at her and her eyes are stinging with tears.

"Next time. You'll show em' who's boss."

R&R :)


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